Mashreq, one of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s leading financial institutions, launched NEO BIZ, a digital banking solution tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and self-employed professionals. With around 7.14 million MSMEs in Pakistan contributing 40% to GDP and employing over 80% of the non-agricultural workforce, access to formal financing remains limited, with SME financing at approximately PKR 882 billion as of December 2025.

NEO BIZ aims to simplify financial management and enhance participation in the digital economy by offering integrated solutions for digital banking, payments, and collections. Fernando Morillo, Group Head of Retail Banking at Mashreq, highlighted the potential of digital-first banking models to improve operational efficiency for businesses. Muhammad Hamayun Sajjad, CEO of Mashreq Bank Pakistan, emphasized the platform’s focus on the local SME sector’s needs and its role in supporting financial inclusion and economic transformation.

The proposition will evolve through Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) capabilities and strategic partnerships, addressing SME challenges such as fragmented financial tools and limited access to financing. Syed Jaffar Abbas Shirazi, Head of NEO BIZ, noted that NEO BIZ is designed to consolidate financial operations into a single platform, facilitating seamless management from account opening to advanced analytics.

With this launch, Mashreq aims to accelerate SME adoption of digital financial services and contribute to a more inclusive, transparent, and digitally connected economy in Pakistan.